Floor mounted dust mop cleaning device



Nov. 9, 1965 s, w, psou 3,216,043

FLOOR MOUNTED DUST MOP CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 1 4/b w) f 7 W 2 2 INVENTOR.

SANFORD W L/PSO/V ATTORNEY,

Nov. 9, 1965 S- W. LIPSON FLOOR MOUNTED DUST MOP CLEANING DEVICE FiledJan. 14, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I5 68 I l l 59 I U I I Ill MP as m 77' 7a1 ,I 1 EU 1 44 a2 93 8/ 44 INVENTOR. SANFORD W LIPSO/V yam. d, 50ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1965 5, w, LIPSON 3,216,043

FLOOR MOUNTED DUST MOP CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 3 /a .L /7 4/e FIG 3 INVENTOR. SANFORD W LIPS 0 ATTORNEYNov. 9, 1965 s. w. LIPSON 3,216,043

FLOOR MOUNTED DUST MOP CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 4 SANFORD W L/PSO/V BYW 3? Ag ATTORNEY United States Patent3,216,043 FLOOR MOUNTED DUST MOP CLEANING DEVEQE Sanford W. Lipson, 2615Bryden Road, Columbus, Ohio Filed Jan. 14, 1964, Ser. No. senses 7Claims. (til. -310) This application relates to fioor mounted dust mopcleaning devices and is in part a continuation of my Patent No.3,122,772 issued March 3, 1964, on my application, Serial No. 142,163,filed October 2, 1961, by me, Sanford W. Lipson, for Floor Mounted DustMop Cleaning Devices, said application having been co-pending with thisapplication.

My inventions disclosed and claimed herein relate to improvements incleaning devices. The embodiments of my invention illustrated anddescribed herein are floor mounted cleaning devices designed to receiveand dispose of dirt and dust swept or pushed into the cleaning devicesembodying my invention and clean mops, etc., which have become dirtywith use.

While conventional vacuum floor cleaning devices are suited to thepurpose of cleaning floors, yet it is highly desirable for thoroughcleaning purposes to use also a dust mop or duster or other similarmanually operated device. But when such a device is used, the dirt isusually transferred from the corners of the rooms or walls or otherinaccessible places to the mop or duster. The mop or duster is thenoften shaken or beaten out of doors in the air to remove the dirt fromit. This is not always convenient, even if there are not laws orordinances prohibiting such a practice. Several mop cleaning deviceshave been previously proposed. Some of these are conventional floorcleaning vacuum devices which have been adapted for mop cleaningoperation. Many such devices are portable and merely add one morecleaning device to move around the house, to connect and disconnect, andstore.

In my prior copending application and herein in FIG. 6, I have shown anddescribed a cleaning device including a suction unit provided with animpeller, an electric motor driving the impeller, and a dust collectorbag unit secured to the suction unit and having a dust collector bagwith its open end secured to such suction unit to receive dust laden airdriven into it by the suction unit. In the device so previouslydisclosed, the suction unit draws the dirt and dust laden air from thefloor mop and delivers it through the suction device to the dustcollector bag. All of the device is mounted on the floor of a house in aproperly shaped opening so that the impeller, the electric motor, thedust collector bag are all located below the floor surface and so thatthe upper surface of the top of the device is substantially at the samelevel as the adjoining fioor surface.

In the device disclosed herein, similar parts are all similarly mountedbelow the floor level with the top at substantially the same level asthe floor level. However, the parts are arranged one above the otherwith the motor at the bottom, the suction unit and impeller above it andwith the dust collector bag above the suction unit. Thus the device maybe mounted in a much smaller floor opening and the dirt laden air isfirst drawn through the dust collector bag and cleaned and divested ofdirt, etc., and further strained through other screening devices beforeit is delivered to the suction impeller.

One of the objects of the inventions disclosed herein is the provisionof a new, suitable, practical and convenient cleaning device.

A further object of the invention disclosed herein, is to provide acleaning device which can be operated when permanently installed in thefloor, at a location convenient to the areas generally cleaned with adry dust mop,

3 ,2 16,043 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 to clean mops and dispose of otherdirt and dust. Moreover, the user is not required to unwind and connecta cord to an electric outlet or attach the cleaning device to aconventional vacuum cleaner for suction each time that the cleaningdevice is used. This important feature makes the unit instantlyavailable for use.

Another object of the invention is the location of the operatingmechanism below the floor level so that no storage space is required.The design permits the device to be walked upon without loss of floorspace.

A further feature of the invention is the location of dust receivingslots substantially flush with the floor, thus making it possible fordust, lint, and sweepings to be pushed directly into the suctionopenings for deposit into the dust collector bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop cleaning appliancehaving a suction unit within the appliance, which is powered by anelectric motor, arranged so that the movement of air will draw dust andlint from a dirty mop through a disposable dust collecting bag made ofair pervious material and retain such dust and lint in said bag.

A further object of this invention is to provide an appliance of thenature referred to with a cover that can readily be lifted from thefloor together with the dust collecting bag so that the bag may easilybe removed and replaced.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is of simple and practical construction, which will behighly efiicient, reliable, and inexpensive to operate, and which willbe economical to manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for thepurposes described that can easily be installed in new construction orin existing homes, apartment buildings, ofiice buildings, or otherplaces where its use is desired.

A further more specific object of my invention is the provision of acleaning device in which a suction impeller or fan driven by a motordraws dust, dirt, and lint laden air through a removable container whichfilters the air before being drawn in and through the suction impellerthus preventing clogging of the impeller by lint, dirt, etc., andprevents the abrasive action of sand and other dirt particles causingwear on the impeller.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a mounting for thedust container or bag directly under a relatively small removable coverplate, thereby reducing the overall size of the unit, making it easierto install, and providing better access to the dust bag for simplereplacement.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from astudy of the detailed description of the several specific embodiments ofmy inventions which follow, from a study of the claims appended hereto,and from a study of the accompanying drawings illustrating theseembodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the top of a dust mop cleaning device embodyingmy invention, the devices being shown mounted in a floor;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the appliance of FIG. 1 takenthrough lines 2-2 in FIG. 1, the appliance being shown mounted in thefloor;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the device of FIGS.1 and 2 removed from the fioor and having parts broken away so that theinterior construction may be more readily seen and described;

FIG. 4 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation andshowing the operative relationship between a dust mop to be cleaned, thefloor, and the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section showing an alternative mountingfor the device illustrated; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the same relationshipsbetween a mop, the floor and an alternative form of cleaning device.

As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, I haveshown in the drawings (referring especially to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5),a dust mop cleaning device 11 including an upper casing or housing 12and a lower casing or housing 13 secured to such upper casing 12.

Included in the upper casing 12 (see especially FIGS. 2 and 3) is a dustcollector bag 14. Include-d in the lower casing 13 is a suction impeller15 and an electric motor 16 which drives the suction impeller. Theseparts just described are secured to and mounted under a steel floormounting plate 17 and are positioned directly under a slotted steel top18 associated with the steel floor mounting plate 17.

The steel floor mounting plate 17 is secured to the floor as by screws41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 411, 41g, 41/1, 411, 41j, 41k, and 41l. While Ihave shown 12 screws, a greater or lesser number may be used and in factI prefer to use only eight screws, dispensing with screws 41b, 41a,4112, and 41k, these four screws being added and shown mainly forpurposes of easier illustration and explanation. The screws 41a, etc.,secure the plate 17 to the top flooring 42 which is laid on andsupported by the subllooring 43, the latter being supported by floorjoists such as 44.

The upper casing 12 is secured to the floor mounting plate in anyappropriate manner as for example by welding and as for more specificexample by electric spot welding an annular flange 45 to the floor plate1'7 as indicated at 46 and 47.

The steel top 18 is slotted. As shown, there are fifteen slots, althoughmore or less can be use if desired. Several of the slots are designatedas 48a, 48b, 48c, and 48d, but it is deemed unnecessary to designate allof the slots as the number of slots used is not critical. The bag 14 issecured to the steel top 18 so that if the top is removed from theopening in the steel floor mounting plate 17, the bag 14 is removed withit. To this end the bag 14 is made with a stiff cardboard ring 51 aroundthe openings. The cardboard ring 51 has four holes spaced to fit overthreaded studs such as studs 52 welded to the bottom of slotted top 18.A steel ring 53 is fitted under the cardboard ring 51 to support it andthe entire unit, including the bag 14, the cardboard ring 51, and thesteel ring 53, is held fast to the slotted top 18 by four hexagon handnuts such as nuts 54 and 55.

The mounting plate 17 is provided with a slight taper as at 56, 57, 58,and 59, which serves to keep any water (which might be spilled or usedduring cleaning) from entering the slotted top 18. The slotted top 18rests on a rubber top seal 61 which is cemented to the flange 45 on theupper casing 12.

Within the upper casing 12 a perforated steel turbine guard 62 fittedwith a cloth over 63 and edged with a r-ubber turbine guard seal 64rests on four screws such as the screws 65 and 66. The screws 65, 66,etc. extend through appropriately positioned openings in a lower bottom67 of the upper casing 12. This assembly distributes the concentratedsuction from the direct center of the upper casing 12 so that the paperbag 14 is not damaged by concentrated suction at any one location.

As stated above, the lower casing 13 encloses a suction impeller 15 andan electric motor 16 which drives the impeller. The lower casing 13 issupported as will now be described by the upper casing 12. I providefour motor mounting brackets such as the brackets 68 and 69 shown inFIG. 2 which are secured to the four screws illustrated by the screws 65and 66 by nuts such as the nuts 71 and 72. Each of the bracketsillustrated by the brackets 68 and 69, has at its upper end an outwardlyprojecting extension 73 and at its lower end an inwardly extendingprojection 74. The outwardly extending projection 73 is formed with ahole through which the lower portion of one of the above mentionedscrews (e.g. 65 and 66) extends and when the nuts (e.g. 71 and 72) aretightened they hold the brackets (e.g. 68 and 69) tightly against thebottom 67 of the upper casing 12. The impeller 15 rests upon theinwardly extending projection 74 of the four brackets (e.g. 68 and 69)and is secured to these brackets by cap screws such as 75 and 76. Thecap screws (e.g. 75 and 76) also secure a plurality (as for examplefour) of lower casing mounting brackets such as the brackets 77 and 78.The lower casing 13 is secured to the lower end of these four brackets(illustrated by brackets 77 and 78) by screws such as screws 81 and 82,and the lower casing 13 is thus supported on the upper casing 12 bymeans of brackets such as 68 and 69, 77 and 78, and screws such as 65,66, 75, 76, 81 and 82, and nuts such as 71 and 72. A rubber spacer suchas 83 cemented to the bottom of the upper casing 12 serves to insulatevibration noises between the motor and impeller unit and the uppercasing 12. The lower casing 13 is fitted with a rubber molding 84 aroundthe opening at its top also to insulate against noise. A hole throughthe side of the lower casing 13 is fitted with a rubber grommet 85through which the electric power cord 86 enters the lower casing 13 toconnect a source of electric power with the motor 16, it beingunderstood that the motor 16 is semi-permanently connected with theimpeller 15 to drive it and is suspended from the impeller.

In FIG. 4 the cleaner of FIGS. 1-3 inclusive is shown in side elevation,the flooring being shown in section. Associated with the cleaner is adust mop 91 which is in position to be cleaned. A suitable floor orfloor covering such as a Vinyl floor tile 94 is flush with the leadingedges 56, 57, 58, and 59 of the mounting plate 17, which permits floorsweepings to be pushed directly into the openings of the slotted top 18.For this purpose I arrange the mounting plate 17 and the slotted top 18so that the edges are substantially flush with the floor or floorcovering. In fact, the mounting plate 17 and the slotted top 18 jointlycomprise a cover for my cleaning device and are sometimes referred tohereinafter in this specification and in the claims as a cover orperforate cover and the edges of this unit 17-18 is substantially flushwith the top of the floor.

In the modification shown in FIG. 5 the flange has tabs or ears 187which extend into recesses 188 formed in the upper section of thesubflooring 142 and is secured thereto by screws such as 141. The uppersection 142 rests on a lower section 143. The steel top 118 is extendedoutward to incorporate the square outer floor plate 117 which is thussubstantially level with the upper or veneer flooring 119. The top 118rests on the rubber top seal 161.

In FIG. 6 is shown in side elevation a diflerent embodiment of myinvention. Therein there is shown a housing 210 which houses an impeller212 driven by an electric motor 213 and a dust collector bag 217connected to the impeller by a dust collector adapter 216. The housingis perforated with holes 219 to allow filtered air to escape the unit. Atop 220 for the housing 210 and a dust mop 231 to be cleaned are shownpositioned above the suction unit 212 which draws a large volume of airthrough suction slots and from the dust mop 231.

Operation In operation the unit 11 is controlled by a wall mountedtoggle switch or by an appropriate foot switch (neither of which areshown) providing electrical energy to the motor 16 through the electriccord 86. The rotating motor drives a turbine fan in the impeller orsuction unit 15, the motor being connected directly to the fan. Thesuction created draws air through the opening 92 in the base of theupper casing 12.

By reason of the suction created by the fan, the dust laden air fromabove the slotted top 18 is drawn through the openings in the slottedtop 18 then into dust bag 14. The suction created by the fan pulls theair through the minute openings in the dust bag. Filtered air thenpasses through the cloth cover 63, perforations in the turbine guard 62and into the suction inlet of the casing or housing of impeller 15, thenout through the exhaust opening in the base of the impeller casing, pastthe motor 16 and out through the openings in the base of the lowercasing. A soiled dust mop 91 moved across the perforated top 18partially blocks the free movement of air into the unit creatingconcentrated suction through one or more of the slots. This concentratedsuction draws the lint and dust from the mop into the paper dust bag 14.Filtered air is passed through the turbine fan of the suction impellerand out the perforations 93 in the bottom of the lower casing 13. Whenthe paper dust bag 14 is full of floor sweepings, lint and dirt, theperforated top 18 is lifted out of the opening in the floor mountedplate 17. The filled paper dust bag may then be removed by removing handnuts (e.g. the hand nuts 54 and 55) and releasing the dust bag retainingsteel ring 53. This permits the paper dust bag 14 to be Withdrawn. A newpaper dust bag may then be installed by reversing the procedure.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 operates almost identically except thatthe dust bag unit is removed with the one-piece square cover consistingof the floor plate 117 and the slotted steel top 118. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 6 a hinged door which forms a part of the top cover 220 isopened and the dust collector bag 217 is disconnected from the dustcollector bag adapter 216 and removed and replaced. The embodiment ofFIG. 5 indicates that the steel floor mounting plate 117 and the slottedsteel top 118 may be in effect (where convenient) a single unitaryslotted or perforated cover supporting the suction unit, the motor andthe dust bag, etc. So also the cover 117118 and the top 220 are unitaryslotted or perforated covers.

Various structural modifications relating to size, shape and arrangementof parts might be suggested by those skilled in the art.

It is to be understood that while the embodiments shown representpreferred embodiments of my invention, they are not to be construed aslimitations thereof but that various changes may be made withoutdeparing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined bythe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cleaning device in combination:

a suction unit comprising an impeller, and an electric motor drivinglyconnected to the impeller;

a dust collector bag made of air pervious material having an open endand having said open end held in position to receive dust laden air;

means including the aforesaid impeller for causing dust laden air toenter said open end of the dust collector bag; and

means for mounting said device including the suction unit and the dustcollector bag on the floor of a house in a properly shaped opening inthe floor comprising a perforate cover for the device supporting thesuction unit and the dust collector bag below said cover and resting onthe floor so that the impeller, the electric motor, and the dustcollector bag are all located below the floor surface, and so that theupper surface of the cover for said device is substantially at the samelevel as the adjoining floor surface; wherein the perforate cover isslotted, the open end of the dust collector bag is secured directly tothe slotted cover, the suction unit is mounted directly beneath saiddust collector bag and draws air through said slotted cover, throughsaid dust collector bag into said suction device, and out of the bottomof the cleaning device, the motor is mounted directly below the impeller and is supported by the impeller to drive the impeller, there isprovided an upper casing secured to said cover and surrounding andsupporting the dust collector bag, a lower casing housing said impellerand said motor, and first brackets are secured to said upper case andsupport said impeller, and second brackets are secured to the firstbrackets and support said lower casing.

2. In a cleaning device in combination:

a suction unit comprising an impeller, an electric motor mounteddirectly below the impeller and supported by the impeller to drive saidimpeller, and a lower casing surrounding the sides of said impeller andsaid motor;

a dust collector bag made of air pervious material, having an open end,and having said open end held in upper position to receive dust ladenair, and positioned directly above said suction unit so that saidsuction unit draws dust laden air into the open end of the bag, throughthe bag Where the dust is filtered, into the top of the suction unit,and out of the bottom thereof;

means for mounting said device including the suction unit and the dustcollector bag on the floor of a house in a properly shaped opening inthe floor comprising a cover for the device having perforations formedtherein, the cover having a length and breadth each larger than theopening in the floor and each increasedly larger than the correspondinghorizontal dimension of the suction unit and the dust collector bag,secured directly to the open end of said bag, resting on the floor, andpositioned directly above said bag and directly above said suction unitand at substantially the same level as the floor surface,

an upper casing positioned directly below and secured to the cover andsurrounding the sides of and supporting the dust collector bag,

a plurality of first brackets secured to the upper casing and supportingsaid suction unit, and

a plurality of second brackets secured to the first brackets andsupporting said lower casing; and

means including the aforesaid impeller for causing dust laden air topass through the perforations in the cover, the open end of said bag,and said bag, and then into the top and out of the bottom of saidimpeller whereby said suction unit and said bag may be lifted throughsaid opening and removed together with said cover in order to serviceone of said components.

3. In a cleaning device in combination:

a suction unit comprising an impeller, an electric motor mounteddirectly below the impeller and supported by the impeller to drive saidimpeller, and a lower casing surrounding the sides of said impeller andsaid motor;

a dust collector bag made of air pervious material, having an open end,and having said open end held in upper position to receive dust ladenair, and positioned directly above said suction unit so that saidsuction unit draws dust laden air into the open end of the bag, throughthe bag Where the dust is filtered, into the top of the suction unit,and out of the bottom thereof;

means for mounting said device including the suction unit and the dustcollector bag on the floor of a house in a properly shaped opening inthe floor comprising a slotted cover for the device consisting of asteel floor mounting plate and a slotted steel top secured directly tothe open end of said bag, said cover having a length and a breadthresting on the floor, and positioned directly above said bag and atsubstantially the same level as the floor surface,

an upper casing positioned directly below and secured to and supportedby the steel floor mounting plate and surrounding the sides of andsupporting the dust collector bag, a plurality of first brackets securedto the upper casing and supporting said suction unit, and a plurality ofsecond brackets secured to the first brackets and supporting said lowercasing; and means including the aforesaid impeller for causing dustladen air to pass through the slotted cover, the open end of said bag,and said bag, and then into the top and out ofthe bottom of saidimpeller. 4. The structure of claim 2 in which the cover comprises asteel fioor mounting plate and a perforated steel top, and the steelfloor mounting plate supports the upper casing and the steel topsupports the dust collector bag.

5. The structure of claim 2 in which the cover comprises a steel floormounting plate and a perforated steel top and the steel top issurrounded by and is removably supported by the steel floor mountingplate and the steel floor mounting plate supports the upper casing andthe steel top supports the dust collector bag.

6. The structure of claim 2 in which the cover comprises a steel floormounting plate and a steel top and the steel floor mounting plate isfastened to the floor and supports the upper casing, and the uppercasing has a flange which supports the top and the top supports the dustcollector bag.

'7. The structure of claim 2 in which the cover has sloping leadingedges which tend to prevent Water from getting into the cleanerinadvertently.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,533,78112/50 Fallowfield.

2,771,151 11/56 Osborn 15327X 2,791,792 5/57 Shearer 15-310 3,002,21610/61 Beach 15 327 3,064,298 11/62 Jones 15 310 15 3,122,772 3/64 Lipson15 310 FOREIGN PATENTS 598,273 6/34 Germany.

20 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner.

1. IN A CLEANING DEVICE IN COMBINATION: A SUCTION UNIT COMPRISING ANIMPELLER, AND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO THE IMPELLER; ADUST COLLECTOR BAG MADE OF AIR PERVIOUS MATERIAL HAVING AN OPEN END ANDHAVING SAID OPEN END HELD IN POSITION TO RECEIVE DUST LADEN AIR; MEANSINCLUDING THE AFORESAID IMPELLER FOR CAUSING DUST LADEN AIR TO ENTERSAID OPEN END OF THE DUST COLLECTOR BAG; AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAIDDEVICE INCLUDING THE SUCTION UNIT AND THE DUST COLLECTOR BAG ON THEFLOOR OF A HOUSE IN A PROPERLY SHAPED OPENING IN THE FLOOR COMPRISING APERFORATE COVER FOR THE DEVICE SUPPORTING THE SUCTION UNIT AND THE DUSTCOLLECTOR BAG BELOW SAID COVER AND RESTING ON THE FLOOR SO THAT THEIMPELLER, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR, AND THE DUST COLLECTOR BAG ARE ALL LOCATEDBELOW THE FLOOR SURFACE, AND SO THAT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE COVER FORSAID DEVICE IS SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE ADJOINING FLOORSURFACE; WHEREIN THE PERFORATE COVER IS SLOTTED, THE OPEN END OF THEDUST COLLECTOR BAG IS SECURED DIRECTLY TO THE SLOTTED COVER, THE SUCTIONUNIT IS MOUNTED DIRECTLY BENEATH SAID DUST COLLECTOR BAG AND DRAWS AIRTHROUGH SAID SLOTTED COVER, THROUGH SAID DUST COLLECTOR BAG INTO SAIDSUCTION DEVICE, AND OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CLEANING DEVICE, THE MOTORIS MOUNTED DIRECTLY BELOW THE IMPELLER AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE IMPELLERTO DRIVE THE IMPELLER, THERE IS PROVIDED AN UPPER CASING SECURED TO SAIDCOVER AND SURROUNDING AND SUPPORTING THE DUST COLLECTOR BAG, A LOWERCASING HOUSING SAID IMPELLER AND SAID MOTOR, AND FIRST BRACKET ARESECURED TO SAID UPPER CASE AND SUPPORT SAID IMPELLER, AND SECONDBRACKETS ARE SECURED TO THE FIRST BRACKETS AND SUPPORT SAID LOWERCASING.